Shatner To Go On 'Living In TV Land' Tonight

William Shatner sings, takes fans on a tour of his life and is talked about by other Star Trek stars tonight when Living in TV Land debuts a special on the Captain Kirk actor's life tonight in honour of Shatner's 75th birthday.

In a press release at Yahoo!, the TV Land network describes Living in TV Land: William Shatner as "an intimate look at Emmy Award-winner and pop culture icon William Shatner as he walks viewers through television's first musical-reality hybrid show." The show intersperses concert performances with Ben Folds and interviews with such associates as Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Patrick Stewart (Picard) and Kate Mulgrew (Janeway), plus current Boston Legal co-star Candice Bergen.

Viewers will also see Shatner win an Emmy Award, visit Creation's Star Trek convention in Las Vegas last year and witness the birth of a grandchild. The Seattle Times has an advance review of the special, saying, "Some celebrities we take to heart. Others we clasp to our broad, soft and equally vulnerable midsection, which is where you find William Shatner." The episode is described as "a loopy compendium of interview snippets, vintage clips and musical numbers."

While reviewer Kay McFadden admitted that Shatner was unlikely to make viewers forget Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra, she said that his mediocre singing "elicit[s] the sort of affection we reserve for sheer persistence, that key to a long show-business life." She was sorry the special was not more introspective, but felt that Shatner's humour made it entertaining.

After its debut tonight following the 4th Annual TV Land Awards, Living in TV Land: William Shatner will have an encore presentation next Wednesday, March 29th, in the regular Living in TV Land timeslot of 10 p.m., where Shatner will be followed by such luminaries as TV's Batman, Adam West, and The Brady Bunch's Barry Williams.